2018 Winter Olympic Games

Read a Map
Geography, U.S. History

Maps of the Korean peninsula, South Korea and Olympic venues are provided. The Korean peninsula map may be used to discuss the current global political situation, the relation of the two Koreas, and the geographic proximity of other countries. Which map provides topographic information?

If teachers incorporate viewing of the Olympic Winter Games into their class homework, students may be asked to locate home countries and countries where competitive athletes train.

Research Olympic Winter Sports
English, Geography, Physical Education, Science

For fun, teachers might share two Washington Post features before giving the assignment:
• An illustrated quiz: “The speediest Winter Olympic sports”
• A video: “Luge Yourself”

Fifteen sports compose the official winter sports. Ask students to list the sports that they think are Winter Games sports. Give students “Olympic Games Winter Sports” to direct research of each sport. This activity may be done as an individual, pair or team event. In addition to the history, description, categories in the Games and countries that have excelled (which may be combined with map reading), students are asked to add two more areas of research. This may be standout athletes, rules, application of science to the sport, limits and/or expenses of the sport because of physical requirements (modifications of environment, construction of courses, equipment) or an area of personal interest.

This activity might be combined with an oral presentation. Teachers may decide if visual aids such as maps and photographs, PowerPoint or other presentation approaches should be included.

Where Do You Learn the Sport?
Business, Civics, Economics, Physical Education

The Washington Post Sports reporters have created a series of How-to-Watch sports at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang articles. These may be combined with the “Olympic Games Winter Sports” research or used alone with pairs reading, selecting details, factoids and points of interest (like Redskin Vernon Davis was honorary captain or the men’s curling team during the 2010 Vancouver Games) to share with the class.

The How-to-Watch sports include biathlon, bobsledding, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, Alpine skiing, hockey, luge (with video), Nordic combined, short-track speedskating, and skeleton.

Have students locate where Olympic sports may be learned and athletes may train in your town or nearby. Students can learn about curling and the Maryland Curling Club in Kelyn Soong’s article, “American curlers have heard your jokes about the sport. Their response: Try it.” If students could open a sports club and training center, what sport(s) would they want?

Select Your 5Ws and H
Economics, Geography, Journalism, U.S. History

Many topics for news stories are provided in “Find Your 2018 Olympic News Story.” Many of the topics tie to reprints found in Through Sports a Better World and in Volunteers, Values and adVentures as well the online lesson links. There are several ways teachers may use this resource:

• Have students select one topic to read about and research. Write a short article to inform others.

• Pairs or a small group may select a topic from each of the five categories. Several naturally overlap and will produce a strong synthesis. Oral presentation, PowerPoint or a new article could be assigned.

• Students could group to create a news series that is organized to unfold aspects of the selected topic.

Meet Olympic Athletes
English, Career Education, Civics, Physical Education

 KidsPost provides a slideshow to give an overview: “Here are the athletes to watch out for in the 2018 Olympics” These may be shown to introduce this project.

There are a variety of approaches a teacher may take with these Washington Post Sports articles. Students may work individually, in pairs and as a team.
• Read articles about assigned athletes. Prepare a summary and present to the class.
• Read about, interview or follow on social media local Olympians. In addition to those indicated below with *, Maryland and Virginia 2018 Olympians are Hakeem Abdul-Saboor, Ashley Caldwell, John Daly, Elana Meyers Taylor and Haley Skarupa. After the Olympics, invite one for a press conference/interview with your student media.
• Prepare a viewing guide with a brief summary of the athlete and when to view the particular sport.
• Group the articles by sport, read and discuss what is learned about the sport through the individuals who compete in them.
• Read and discuss the lede paragraphs of five articles. Compare and contrast how successful each is in introducing the athlete, setting up the focus and grabbing the reader’s interest. Give students "Get Off to the Right Lede." You may use ledes in "Sky, Snow and Ice" and "Talent, Politics, Education" to train students.
• Select one of the ledes to model the beginning of a profile about a student athlete in your school.
• Discuss the kinds of information (the athlete, the private person, the child, records, challenges) that is provided by the reporter. How do these build to give you a better sense of the person who has achieved Olympic dreams by making the USA team.

Maame Biney — USA, short track skating*
Nathan Chen — USA, figure skating
Matt and Becca Hamilton — USA, curling, siblings
Yuzuru Hanyu — Japan, defending men’s champion, figure skating
Thomas Hong — USA, short-track speedskating*
Gus Kenworth  — USA, first openly gay Olympic skier
Chris Kinney — USA, bobsled*
Chloe Kim — USA, snowboarding
Ted Ligety — USA, skiing, fourth Olympic
Julia Marino, USA, snowboarding
Maddie Mastro — USA, snowboarding
Mirai Nagasu — USA, figure skating
Adam Rippon — USA, figure skating
Garrett Roe — USA, ice hockey*
Mikaela Shiffrin — USA, shalom
Bradie Tennell — USA, figure skating
Lindsey Vonn, USA, skiing
Shaun White — USA, snowboarding

Conduct an Interview
English, Journalism, Physical Education

A surprising number of people in a community have ties to athletic involvement from their high school days to current work or leisure. Brainstorm a series of nine categories, sports or concepts that your class could pursue for publication. These would include:
• Graduates, staff or coaches who competed on the state, national or international level;
• Graduates or current students who have gone through trials to qualify for regionals or higher competition;
• Parents or residents of your town who had Olympic dreams or who coached a future Olympian;
• Local venues for students to participate in the sports featured in the Olympics or Paralympics

How Do Athletes Support Their Quest?
Business, Personal Finance, Physical Education, Reading

Give students “The Sky’s the Limit” to use as a case study of an athlete with a dream, the years of training and the expenses she and her family faced. Identify what snowboarder Chloe Kim and her family did to support her Olympic dream.

Discuss who and what your community does to encourage young people to be involved in sports, to help those who show promise and to support those who have reached the highest levels of competition. How do these resources benefit your community, the student athlete and his or her parents?

Who Profits from the Games?
Business, Economics, Journalism, Physical Education

A host country is gambling on success during and after hosting the Games in order to break even or make a profit. A recent study of Games since 1960 found the most expensive Summer Games to be London 2012 (15.0 USD billion) and Barcelona 1992 (9.7 USD billion) and the most expensive Winter Games to be Sochi 2014 (21.9 USD billion) and Torino 2006 (4.4 USD billion). Transportation infrastructure is not included in the costs. Why would a country want to host the Olympic Games?

• The host country. What factors determine if the host country gains or loses financially? Which does the best financially — Summer Olympic Games or Winter Olympic Games? How many countries have used Olympic facilities after the Games for continued local use? [For example, Lake Placid used the athletes’ village as a prison.] For hosting other sports events and to offer training facilities? As an international destination?

• Businesses. Who gets the profit from sale of Olympic-related merchandise such as the mascots and torches? Which local business will profit?

• Prestige for individual and country? What countries have benefitted by having the most medalists? Explain how this has happened.

• Financial benefits for the individual athlete? Which contemporary athletes benefitted by Olympic success, especially if they were not on a professional sports team? Do any countries pay their athletes for being a gold, silver or bronze medalist? To whom would a medalist sell his or her medal if times are tough? What is the gold content of a gold medal? What about the auction block?

• Games sponsors. What are the benefits to the corporations that are Olympic Games sponsors? Who are they? How do they make themselves known? Which can benefit by selling Olympic-related merchandise? 

On Your Mark
Business, Economics, Mathematics, Physical Education

According to early reports, the Olympic venues cost South Korea more than $1 billion to construct or refurbish. Others report that athletes may spend from $35,000 to $50,000 on their way to achieving Olympic proficiency. Many topics involve the business or economic side of sports. Give students "On Your Mark." Students in pairs or small team may select one of the teasers to explore. 

Keep Athletes Safe and Well
Character Education, Civics, Journalism, Physical Education

Read the full statement of the Safe Sport initiative that is employed for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. All participating athletes are informed how to report “any incident of harassment or abuse,” what constitutes harassment and abuse, and where the IOC Safeguarding offices are located.

In November 2017 a Safeguarding toolkit was released to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs) to assist in “the development of policies and procedures to safeguard athletes from harassment and abuse in sport. Show the introductory video to students to introduce the concept. Discuss and define “harassment” and “abuse” as well as having a need for policies and procedures to report actions. Why are these policies needed? Who should be included under the policy?

Teachers should review the tookit to determine if this may act as a guideline for your school district, school’s athletic department and/or team leaders to develop a harassment and abuse policy. If such a policy exists, perhaps you might review it against these guidelines.

Students might also be divided into three groups to read, discuss and determine steps to follow in creating a school policy for your teams.
• Preparation 
• Positioning
• Core Components

Listen to the Music
Art, Journalism, Music, Physical Education

Culture

• The Opening Ceremony showcases the culture of the host country. Listen to the music that accompanies the dance. What attitude or sense of culture do the movements and beat convey? What does national dress (color, fabric, adornment) add to the expression?
• During the Closing Ceremony how does the next Olympic Games host country convey its invitation? It what ways are past and present cultures conveyed?
• What music and dance would you use to convey the culture of your community? Of your school? 

Patriotism

• National anthems of gold medalists are played at the medal ceremonies. The anthems of which three countries are most likely to be heard based on Olympic history? Describe the anthems.
• What music will be played should the Korean women’s ice hockey team win a medal? How does this decision reflect the spirit of the Olympics as well as political reality?
• At the DMZ music plays loudly from the North Korean side. Why is this done?

Artistry

• If teachers have students who are involved in dance ask them to share how the music influences their choreography. Since 2014 Sochi Olympics, single ice skaters may perform to music with lyrics.

Read and discuss Liz Clarke’s “Will the addition of lyrics have Olympic figure skating judges singing along?” 

The class might debate whether lyrics add to the skater’s performance or if it appeals more to audiences. Teachers might begin with respected veteran coach Frank Carroll’s belief that “music should be in service to the skater and not the other way around.” Teachers might also ask students to select the music they would like to see used in a short or long program by single or pairs.

Call the Tech-Sci Crew
Business, Economics, Journalism, Science, Technology

The Games Opening Ceremony highlighted the contrast of traditional Korean culture to the fast-moving, tech-friendly Seoul and South Korea. Before drones shaped the Olympic rings, companies and athletes were developing and utilizing science and technology. Read and discuss the KidsPost article: “In the Olympics, what athletes wear is often more about science than style” and Post reprint: “Virtual reality helps U.S. Olympic ski team prepare for PyeongChang’s great unknown.” How might the current technology be used in the next Summer Olympics?

Have students brainstorm what advances in technology they would like to see in your school and their homes. Which would be beneficial and help meet needs? Which are purely for entertainment and convenience? 

Find the Physics in a Bobsled
Physics, Science

Physics educator Michael Van Eaton provides “Physics — The Winning Edge” to introduce how bobsled teams utilize physics laws and principles. He also suggests three labs to apply the physics. Teachers could review terms in In the Know that appear in the article.

Before giving students the article, physics teachers may share the NPR piece “A Kind of Chaos: The Science and Sports of Bobsledding.” Melissa Block goes to Lake Placid, N.Y., where World Cup competition is taking place. Bobsledders give an inside look into the sport. Elana Meyers Taylor, a GW grad, is among the interviewees. All students will enjoy hearing what it is like to be in the bobsled.

Meet Ambassadors of Sport
Character Education, Civics, Physical Education

A Refugee Olympic team of ten athletes first competed in the Rio 2016 Summer Games. The athletes’ participation was “an important signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and an enrichment to society,” according to the IOC. The athletes continued as ambassadors for the value of sports.

After discussing the Refugee Olympic team, consider these additional questions:
• Why is no team of refugees slated to compete in the Winter Games?
• If you could create the team, who would you want on your team of Ambassadors of Sport from the 2018 Winter Games?
• Are there athletes in your school who would make good ambassadors of sport? What criteria should they meet?

Demand Attention
Character Education, Civics, Debate, Government

Sports Injury
“Concussions are serious, but would you let one ruin your Olympic dream?”

Integrity of Coaches
“Some Olympic sports organizations keep lists of banned coaches confidential”

Oversight of Gymnastics Clubs
“Following sex abuse report, USA Gymnastics pledges stronger oversight of clubs”

Consider Conflicts
Government, U.S. History

U.S. History and U.S. Government teachers may wish to use the Olympic Games as the context in which to introduce the Korean War to students. Read Barry Svrluga’s “Ahead of ‘Peace Olympics,’ a different reality at the DMZ.” This would include discussion of

• the DMZ — guards, defectors, tours and restaurants

• today’s tensions between North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and the White House

• North Korean missile testing (review map and nearby countries)

• nuclear program development in North Korea

• human rights issues

“We will use sports as a tool for peace,” said Lee Hee-beom, CEO of the PyeongChang Games. How can this be achieved, if only for a few days? What stands in the way of this ideal?

And Discuss More Controversy
Character Education, Civics, Environmental Education, Physical Education

“Figure skating debate rages between artistry, amplitude”

“IOC confirms 169 Russian athletes invited to Winter Olympics”

“Long way from PyeongChang, NHL all-stars lament sitting out”

“Olympic organisers destroy ‘sacred’ South Korean forest to create ski run”

Environmental groups raised concerns about deforestation of the slopes of Gariwang Mountain to build the Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Officials claimed it was the only slope that could accommodate Olympic requirements and the forest would be restored after the Games. The forest includes old growth of ancient and rare species; if destroyed how could it be replaced? As one of very few virgin forests in South Korea, the area is home to protected species such as the flying squirrel and the lynx, as well as endangered species of plants and birds.

Post NIE Guide Editor | Carol Lange
Post NIE Guide Art Editor | Carol Porter